MARTHA & KEITH, dynamic duo does pie + politics

Only by chance did I learn of the political pundit Keith Olbermann  appearance this week on the Martha Stewart Show.  No longer a virgin:  I have now watched an entire daytime TV show, or almost.   Tuned in a little late as Martha and Keith were talking about the election.  Commiserated on homophobia in California--link here is to his inspired rant about Proposition 8 in California.  They admired Obama  campaign's use of the internet, "He's thinking modern," Martha noted.

Great fun to watch Keith, the cooking novice, try to follow along with Martha to make a Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie.  Carried away at one moment--I can all relate-- she poured in too much ground cloves.  Keith gamely tried to use his fist, as she instructed to move graham cracker crumbs around the pie shell.

Martha Stewart has always impressed me as

basically a home economist.  First time I saw her program was in a hospital waiting room on my way to eye surgery.  First she did one of her detailed drills on how to set up a laundry room--what should be in it, the best arrangement.  I thought at the time she was providing a service for  at-home young women who never had a Home Ec class.  These began to fall out of favor in the 1980s, I believe.  Not that everyone needed ALL the detail Martha is so fond of providing. 

This was followed by an interview with a collector of antique irons.  Fascinating:  Home Ec as it should have been with history to add richness and context.

 In a similar way, Martha followed the hilarity of the pie-making with a long segment about the program, City Meals on Wheels, "No homebound senior should go without a meal on Thanksgiving or any holiday."  [Very  satisfying voluntary stint when I  delivered meals last year.]  Martha has been honored for her support of the program, a national one.  As pointed out in "Elders' Unique Economic Difficulties,"a recent post at Time Goes By, seniors are a very vulnerable, often little noticed population in our continued shaky times.  In New York City,   senior center programs are facing cutbacks.  They  could use  Martha Stewart's advocacy because  the City threatens to cut many of them.  

Disclaimer:  Ron Bloom, spouse, was chair of Home Economics at Morgan State University in Baltimore. I was very proud of  innovations he brought to the program--particularly a class on substance abuse.   In one of many unnecessary retrofits, so popular in academe, it had been  re-named "Human Ecology."  Please.

Comments

[Jennifer]

I have to admit I've always liked Martha Stewart even when I didn't agree with her. I was lucky enough to have had Home Ec (as well as metal & wood shop) in highschool and am glad that there are still people willing to share common sense advice.

[Marianna Scheffer]

Knowing how to set up and take care of a home and family is a fine set of skills to have. I wish above all that I had known about budgeting when I was young. We would have been so much better off.

[Terri]

I also fondly remember my Home Ec classes in high school. I've also always admired Martha Stewart....sometimes a little over the top but she really knows her stuff.
Bet this was great with Keith....I adore him and his show. I also caught his commentary on Prop 8. It was outstanding.
Wishing you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow.

[Kay Dennison]

I hated home ec but I loved to cook and sew! Home Ec stifled creativity I thought!

[Joan Wile]

Naomi, I hope you heard Olberman's incredible, stirring and brilliant commentary on Prop 8. The passion and emotion he brought to it, though admittedly not a gay man, was completely startling. I've never seen him get emotional like that to the point where he was almost sobbing about the terrible unfairness of it. Joan Wile